Happy Birthday, Dobe
by iyfanatic
Summary: [Shounen ai, SasuNaru] Naruto is hiding out, and after visiting, Sakura and Sai find out why. At the end of the day, will Naruto get his birthday wish? Set post Timeskip!


IY: Hey all! New one-shot! I'm getting good at these. :happy dance:

Kit: You were bound to be good at _something..._

IY: Humph, whatever...

IY: We decided to write this one-shot in honor of my little Naru-chan's birthday! Whoot!

Kit: Yes, we know we're early...

IY: Uh huh, we know that today is October 7 (41 minutes away from October 8), 3 days before his birthday, but we won't be able to upload this on the 10th.

Kit: Yeah, and early is always better than late.

IY: EXACTLY! So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARU-CHYAAAN! I love you! You're so cuuuute!

**

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12/23/06 Edit: I received a PM asking where the spoilers were… :sweatdrop: I guess they didn't pop out much, but some lines were taken directly from the manga. They can now be found as _italicized bold_ font in the story. Also, the slight tearing on Naruto's part. He cried in the manga, which broke my heart. :sniff:** **

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Disclaimer: **I do not own anything having to do with the _Naruto_ anime or manga series. I only own this plot (and even this is over used...). Please inform me before taking something out of it! 

**Warnings:** Shounen ai (BoyxBoy) of the SasuNaru variety! ((Whoot!)) Fluff, slight Angst ((slight meaning I tried very hard, but it didn't really come out right)), Language... and other stuff...

**

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Happy Birthday, Dobe  
**Written by IYfanatic and her crazy muse, Kitzuko

* * *

"Shut up…" Naruto murmured, throwing out an arm to slap the _off_ button on his alarm clock. It currently read 6:30, and usually he'd be rushing around his apartment by now, trying to make it to the bridge by 7:00. 

However, today wasn't a usual day, and he didn't feel like meeting with his team. The blonde had made up his mind already; he was going to stay in his warm, safe bed all day, rising only to eat and relieve himself.

Why, you might ask? Well, a casual glance to the calendar hanging innocently on his wall would give you the answer… Today happened to be October 10, the day of Naruto's birthday, marking him as a 16-year-old.

Now, most people would be happy on their birthdays, since it usually meant parties, presents, and all-around good times. However, as we all know, Naruto isn't the same as everyone else.

No, this day doesn't simply mark the birth of Uzumaki Naruto, but also the festival celebrating the defeat of the demon that destroyed their village 16 years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

You may ask yourself, shouldn't this be a good thing then? The answer would be a big, whopping no. While this festival might bring happiness to most people, it only brought pain to our poor blonde ninja.

The few times that he had ventured out on this day, back when he was younger, he had been treated with more hostility than usual by the villagers. They hadn't stopped at mere glaring and whispering as he passed, like they usually did.

Instead, they had cornered the young boy and beaten him ruthlessly, to the point of fatality. If they hadn't been stopped by a patrolling ANBU member and he didn't have the Kyuubi's advanced healing, he would currently be six feet under.

Since then, Naruto had learned to make himself scarce when this day rolled around. He hadn't had to do that for the past three years, since he hadn't been in the village, and it had been a welcomed respite.

However, now that he was back from his training session with the Toad Hermit Jiraiya, he had to pick up on his old ways. The blonde couldn't honestly say that he was glad to be back into his routine.

* * *

"Hey, Sai, where's Naruto?" Sakura asked Team 7's newest member as she walked up to the their meeting place, the trusty red bridge. She herself was a bit late this morning, so everyone else should already be there- except Kakashi-sensei, of course. 

"Hello, Sakura-chan. Naruto-kun has not arrived yet, and I haven't seen him all morning. Perhaps he is ill?" Sakura scoffed, "Naruto, ill? He's never been sick in his life! Kyuubi keeps him healthy against all odds."

"Well then, maybe we should go to his home and then escort him back here for training?" Sai suggested, slightly worried about his new friend. Sakura smiled, "You know Sai, I think you're getting better all the time."

There was no need to ask for clarification, Sai knew what she was talking about. Ever since the failed retrieval mission he had been reading self-help books that helped you gain friends. Sai had been practicing the techniques in there ever since.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan. We should go now, we have close to two hours before Kakashi-san arrives," Sai informed her, consulting his watch. Sakura nodded, "Hai! Let's go get that baka!"

* * *

Naruto groaned, hearing a loud banging noise coming from his front door. Since his apartment was basically one big room, that meant that the sound echoed around, not letting him ignore it. 

"Go away!" the blonde shouted, annoyed at the interruption of his sleep. He glanced over at his clock, reading the digital numbers that said 7:30 a.m. Naruto groaned, was it a stupid villager coming to annoy him already?

Naruto buried his head under his blanket, putting his pillow on top to further muffle the noise. "NARUTO! OPEN THE DOOR!" The blonde opened his eyes wide. What? The villagers never called him by name…

He uncovered his ears, listening to what the voice was shrieking. "NARUTO! GET UP AND OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW! PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT ME WEIRD!"

The blonde suddenly recognized the voice, it was Sakura!

Naruto shot out of bed, quickly pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt that were lying around on the floor. "I'm coming! Hang on!" He bound quickly towards the door, opening it just in time to get a fist in his face.

"OW! What was that for Sai!" Naruto whined, holding his abused nose protectively. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. Sakura-chan told me to keep knocking until you answered…" The pink-haired kunoichi glared at him for ratting her out.

"Well, I didn't tell you to hit him, so it's not my fault!" Sakura said, sniffing derisively. "Anyway, why didn't you come to the bridge Naruto? It's not like you to be late for training!"

"Ano, I'm not feeling too good today Sakura-chan, so I thought I'd skip training…" Naruto mumbled, not meeting her eyes so that she wouldn't notice his lie. "So, uh, could you tell Kakashi-sensei?"

"Uzumaki Naruto! I know perfectly well that you don't get sick, so what's the real reason you don't want to go out?" Sakura asked, her hands on her hips in the typical don't-mess-with-me pose.

"It's October 10th…" the blonde whispered in reply, face towards the ground. "Yeah, I know that, Naruto. I own a calendar too! What's so special about today? The festival doesn't start until dusk, so we have plenty of practice time!"

"Sakura-chan, what's the theme of the festival?" Naruto asked her, trying to make her realize what was going on without actually telling her. "Um, the defeat of the …Kyuubi… _Oh._" The kunoichi made a sheepish face.

"That's right. Oh," Naruto smiled grimly. "The villagers aren't very nice to me today, so I don't like to go out." Sakura's smile was pained, "That's okay then, Naruto. We'll tell Kakashi-sensei what's going on…"

With a grateful nod, the blonde closed his door again. Sakura stood still, silently staring at it. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Sai asked, looking at her curiously. "Yes, I'm fine. Let's get going Sai!"

The kunoichi led the way out of the apartment complex, turning left once they reached the street. "Er, Sakura-chan… Where are you going? The bridge is that way…" Sai said, pointing in the other direction.

"I know that! But we're not going to train today." Sai looked confused, "Doesn't the team leader decide when training is held Sakura-chan?" The kunoichi sighed, "We're skipping practice today Sai."

The brunette tilted his head, "Why? Just because Naruto-kun doesn't feel like training today doesn't mean we should all slack off." Sakura rolled her jade-colored eyes, "Sai, do you know what today is?"

"Yes, October 10, the day of the defeat of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Naruto-kun just told us that…" The medic of their team nodded patiently, "And do you know how the Kyuubi was defeated?"

"It was sealed into Naruto-kun… Where are you going with this Sakura-chan?" Sai asked, bewildered. "Sai! You still haven't realized it yet? Today is Naruto's birthday!" Sakura exclaimed, glancing at the boy's blank face.

"How do you know that, Sakura-chan? Naruto-kun has never told us the day of his birth." Sakura shook her head, sighing, "And you call yourself an ANBU? The Kyuubi was sealed into a _newborn_ baby…"

* * *

"Are you sure this is enough, Sakura? I'm sure Chouji could eat this on his own…" Ino said, glancing at the buffet table. It was covered with several bowls and platters, each with a variety of different chips, snacks, and drinks. 

"Well, you'll just have to keep him away from the food then!" Sakura said huffily, not pleased with the blonde girl's comment. Ino rolled her eyes, "Relax, Sakura. I didn't mean to offend you."

The pink-haired kunoichi sighed, "Sorry, Ino, I'm just a little anxious. I have no idea how Naruto's going to react to this…" Ino hauled her in for a one-handed hug. "Don't worry 'bout it! I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort."

Seeing that her friend wasn't cheering up, Ino sighed, "Tell you what, how about if I get the others to contribute food? I'm sure they wouldn't mind, it's for a good cause. Everyone likes Naruto, for reasons unknown…"

Sakura beamed, "That's a great idea Ino! Why didn't I think about it before?" The blonde narrowed her eyes, "Probably because you weren't planning on inviting any of us…?" Sakura scowled, "I already said I was sorry about that!"

"Naruto obviously didn't want anyone to know, or else he would've told us before now…" Sakura frowned, "I can't believe that I never asked when his birthday was before. He brought _me_ presents every year…"

"Yeah, that's pretty bad, Sakura! I know the birthdates of everyone in my team, even Asuma-sensei!" The pink-haired girl scowled, "Don't rub it in, Ino! I feel guilty enough as it is…"

Ino smiled kindly, "Cheer up, Sakura! You're doing this for him now, aren't you? It's better late than never!" The other girl smiled, "You're right. Let's get started then!"

* * *

"Yes Naruto-kun, I'm sure that no one will see us…" Sai said for the umpteenth time, trying to persuade the blonde boy to leave his apartment. "I'll take us directly to the training grounds, I promise." 

"Well, okay, I guess." Naruto got out of bed again, heading to his closet to pick out his usual clothes. "Er, Naruto-kun, why don't you try something new?" Sai asked, smiling innocently.

Naruto looked at the brunette suspiciously, "What for? No one will see me out in the training grounds." Sai thought quickly, keeping his face carefully blank. "Well, what if someone passes by? Your attire is quite noticeable."

The blonde scrunched his nose, considering this. "You're right! Thanks, Sai!" He then picked out a dark blue t-shirt along with black pants. "Do you think this is okay?" Naruto held up the clothes for Sai's inspection.

The dark eyes looked at the clothes critically. "Well, I think it'll do…" The blonde grinned, "Okay then! Wait right here, I'll be right out." He then dashed into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Ten minutes later, Naruto was done, dressed in his new _stealthy_ outfit. "Naruto-kun! Look at what I found in your closet!" Sai exclaimed happily, holding up a black, long-sleeved button up shirt.

"Oh… That's the one Iruka-sensei gave me for my birthday a few years ago… I never wore it though." Sai stared at him curiously, "Why not? It would look good on you." Naruto blushed at the compliment.

"He said to wear it to some place special, and I've never been anywhere that could be considered _special_," the blonde replied, eyes downcast. "Well, wear it today!" Sai ordered him.

Naruto frowned, "Why would I wear such a nice shirt to train in? It would just get ruined…" Sai thought up an excuse on the spot. "It complements your new outfit! You can always take it off before we start."

The blonde boy looked skeptical, but accepted the offered shirt anyway. Putting it on, he began to button it up, but was stopped by the brunette. "No, keep it open. You look even better that way."

A soft blush spread across Naruto's nose and cheeks. "Stop saying that!" he exclaimed, but did as Sai wished. The ANBU smiled, "Perfect." He looked at his watch, "Let's get going now, Naruto-kun!"

"What's your rush?" the blonde asked, but grabbed onto his elbow anyway. "Oh, no reason…" Sai said, unconvincingly. "What's going on? You're acting weird Sai." Without answering, the brunette formed a hand seal. With a flurry of leaves, they were gone.

* * *

"Get ready guys! They should be here any second!" Sakura hissed out, glancing around the room. She could barely detect the others, since they were hidden so well. They _were_ shinobi, after all. 

A loud "Hai!" echoed around the room for a second, said by everyone in unison. Sakura smiled before shushing them. Right on time, there was a flurry of leaves in the center of her living room.

Many pairs of eyes watched as a brunette and blonde boy appeared in the midst of the wind and leaves. "Sai…? What are we doing here? I thought we were going to the training grounds…"

The brunette smiled at the confused blonde. "Naruto-kun, I have something to tell you…" Blue eyes blinked up at him, "What is it?" "SURPRISE!" Naruto jumped, not expecting Sai to yell in his face, along with many others.

Looking around, the blonde noticed Team Asuma, Kurenai and Gai, along with his own, the Konohamaru Corps, Iruka-sensei, Jiraiya and Tsunade. "What's going on here…?" Sakura stepped up, "It's your birthday party!"

Naruto blinked at her. "My… birthday party…? How did you know today was my birthday?" Sai spoke up next, "Sakura-chan figured it out today and she wanted to surprise you."

A smile pulled at the blonde's lips. "Well… It worked! Thanks Sakura-chan!" The pink-haired kunoichi beamed, "It was nothing. You certainly deserved it after all the presents you've given me!"

"Speaking of presents… Here's yours Naruto. Happy birthday," Ino said, handing him a small box wrapped in orange. "Thanks Ino!" the blonde boy said, smiling widely at her.

The blonde girl was suddenly pushed out of the way. "Hey!" she yelled, almost falling to the floor. "Move it Ino-pig! I wanted to give him my present first!" Sakura yelled, scowling angrily at her friend.

"Maa, calm down Sakura…" Kakashi-sensei said, grinning at his team medic. Sniffing, the pink-haired girl turned to Naruto, who shrank away a little. "Here Naruto, open mine first!"

The blonde blinked, "Er, okay, Sakura-chan." Slipping a fingernail into one side of the wrappings, he carefully took out the box that was inside. Opening the lid, he found two all-you-can-eat coupons to Ichiraku.

"Wow! Thanks a lot Sakura-chan!" Naruto's blue eyes twinkled happily, and Sakura grinned. "There's more, Naruto. Look under the tinsel paper." The blonde looked closer at the box he was holding.

Now that Sakura had brought it to his attention, his eyes caught the slight bump at the bottom of the box. Brimming with curiosity, the blonde lifted the thin paper. What his eyes registered caused his heart to stop.

"Sa-Sasuke…?" The occupants of the room stilled, all eyes trained on the blonde. "Since he isn't here, I thought that you might want that… To remind you of how he was before… Before everything happened."

Sakura bit her lip, what she had really meant to say was clear. _Before he betrayed us for power…_ Naruto roused himself from his stupor. He gave the kunoichi a sad smile, "Thanks, Sakura-chan. Really."

Not able to stand the tension anymore, Ino stepped in. "Anyway, here Naruto! Open it!" She thrust her gift at him again, breaking the silence that had befallen them.

"Yeah, open it!" "Ino gives good stuff!" And the like suddenly started flying around, causing Naruto to smile. He loved his friends…

* * *

Much later, sometime in the early morning hours, Naruto returned to his apartment. He'd had a lot of fun at the party, marking it as his best birthday ever. 

His favorite part by far was eating the big chocolate cake. It was really, really good! Who would've thought that Shikamaru knew how to bake?

Grinning slightly, Naruto opened his door. It was lucky that he never locked it, because he would've had a really tough time juggling the presents he was carrying.

Closing the door behind him with his foot, the blonde walked to the kitchen part of his apartment. Opening his arms, the gifts showered down onto the table, causing him to smile widely.

The only presents he had received before came from Iruka-sensei and Sandaime, while he was still living, of course. A certain gift caught his eye from its spot among the many others.

Lifting it gently, Naruto traced his fingers along the edge of the frame. This was Sakura's second present, and he treasured it far more than any other he had received that night.

It was a framed photograph of Sasuke and himself. Neither was looking at the camera, suggesting that Sakura had taken it without their consent.

The part that made it so special though, was the faint smile lingering around the brunette's lips. Sasuke was _smiling _while they argued. Why…?

Naruto's blue eyes were sad, tracing the features of the youngest Uchiha. He looked so _different_ now… Sasuke was so totally detached from the world it was scary, really…

The blonde smiled- a pained, sorrowful smile- at the memory of Sasuke's words at their last meeting. **_I chose to spare your life at nothing more than a whim of mine… You're going to end up losing your life, all at a whim of mine…_**

Naruto sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. Sakura-chan had said it all, _**crying isn't going to** **bring Sasuke-kun back…**_ While the blonde knew that was true, it was still hard to keep the feelings at bay.

"Hn. What are you crying about _now_, dobe?" Naruto whirled around, eyes wide. No one was there… Did he imagine Sasuke's apathetic voice just now? Wishful thinking, maybe…?

"This is what you're like after three years? Pathetic, dobe. I expected a bit more, even from _you_…" The blonde's eyes swept around the room, trying to locate the speaker. "If this is a joke, it isn't funny!"

"You think I'm _joking_ dobe?" Naruto growled, "Show yourself! I'll kick your ass right now!" An evil-sounding chuckle resonated around the room, causing shivers to dance down the blonde's spine.

"You couldn't _touch_ me dobe… At least, not if I didn't want you to…" Naruto's eyebrow twitched, "This isn't goddamn funny! Show yourself you bastard, so I can kick your ass!"

"Fine, since you would never find me on your own…" A shadow detached itself from a corner, right before Naruto's astounded eyes. "Happy now, dobe?"

"Sa-Sasuke!" The blonde boy had a strange feeling of déjà vu… "Hn, trying to copy Hinata are we?" the brunette asked, face impassive but with slight amusement in his eyes.

"What are you doing here…?" Naruto's eyes were impossibly wide, the blue irises swimming with confusion. "I thought you _wanted _me back here dobe… Isn't that what your last mission was about?"

"B-but you - you said you weren't coming back!" The Uchiha shrugged, "My mission is complete… I have no reason to stay away anymore." Naruto's eyes bulged, "You killed Itachi?"

"Hn. It wasn't that hard… Mangekyou Sharingan comes in handy." The blonde gaped, "H-how…? I'm not dead…" Sasuke snorted, "Apparently, it doesn't really require you to kill your best friend, only the bonds you hold with them."

"Does that mean you don't consider me your best friend anymore…?" Naruto whispered, eyes downcast to hide his sorrow. Since his head was bowed, the blonde was surprised when Sasuke suddenly appeared before him.

"Yes." Naruto inhaled sharply, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. "O-oh… Well, okay then…" the blonde's voice wobbled, despite all his efforts to keep it steady.

The older boy snorted, "Don't start crying yet, dobe. I didn't finish…" Naruto blinked rapidly, banishing the few tears that threatened to escape. "Well, what else are you going to say?"

"The reason I don't consider you my best friend anymore…" the brunette paused, searching for the right words. "Is because you're so much more than that to me…"

Naruto gasped, "W-what are you trying to say, Sasuke?" The Uchiha frowned, looking away. "Well, I guess I'm trying to say… That I love you…"

Blue eyes widened yet again, "What…?" Sasuke scowled, "You heard me, dobe. Stop making me repeat myself!" A huge grin broke out on the blonde's face before he launched himself onto the other boy.

"Naruto! W-what are you doing!" The blonde laughed a little, tickling Sasuke's neck with his warm breath. "I'm hugging you, bastard, what else?" The Uchiha frowned, "Hn…"

"You don't like it?" Naruto asked, unwinding his arms from around the brunette's shoulders in preparation to move away. "No, it's fine. It's just… I was thinking that I deserve a better welcome."

"Humph, you wish! You deserted us and now you want us to throw you a welcome party…" Sasuke rolled his dark eyes, "No, dobe. I meant a welcome from _you._"

Naruto blushed, "Oh… Like what?" _Could he possibly be any more innocent? _the Uchiha wondered. "Like this, dobe," Sasuke whispered, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss.

"Oh… Well, then…" Naruto leaned into Sasuke's body, tilting his head a bit to reach his lips. They shared a few light kisses, until Sasuke's tongue snaked out to lick Naruto's lips.

The blonde moaned at the unfamiliar contact, giving the Uchiha a perfect opportunity to plunder his mouth. After a few blissful minutes they both pulled away, gasping for much-needed air.

"Tadaima, Naruto…" the brunette whispered, leaning his forehead against the younger boy's. "Okaeri nasai, Sasuke…" the blonde whispered back, smiling at him happily.

* * *

Later, they were both lying on Naruto's small bed with the blonde snuggled up to the brunette. Sasuke was peacefully sleeping, but Naruto continued to stare at the ceiling. 

Naruto beamed, directing it towards whatever god had taken a liking to him. It seemed that they had made his first birthday wish come true…

_I wish Sasuke-teme would come back home…_

_**

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End - - - - - - - - - - Fin - - - - - - - - - - Owari **_

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So, what do you think? Keep in mind that it's un-beta-ed... It turned out quite long and I didn't really go over it. Just kinda skimmed it... XD 

If there are any glaringly obvious errors, please tell me and I'll get around to fixing them!

Review please!


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